Hot and now cool! Happy Camper!

So, with the truck problems looks like I will be spending most if not all of the summer here at the RV Park in 29 Palms, which means a hot summer...

The last three days over 115 each day and my A/C in the trailer was barely keeping up - usually 96 to 98 late afternoon inside...needed a desert mainstay a Swamp Cooler...made for this environment.

They are kinda big and bulky and a little ugly, so was not high on my list until the heat arrived. Found the majority of one in the dumpster...motor and case, but missing the water pump, spray spider, water tubing, cooling pads and a few other misc. parts and pieces...trip to the hardware solved most of that, dug out 20 pounds of sand and dirt from the bottom of the unit and cleaned it good, painted any rust spots inside. Evening before last, put it mostly together and made the final plan for the install.The big advantage is on the electric bill - much cheaper to operate over A/C.

Removed the back window in the trailer and last night we hung the cooler and finished the install, blowing quiet and nice and cool...this morning at 6:30 it was 103 outside and 66 inside, chilly.

Window Out

Cooler hung and remaining window opening covered and soon to be sealed!

Inside, kind of obtrusive, needs a good scrubbing today!

THE NICE PART!

This afternoon - need to caulk a few spots and tighten up some small water leaks...will paint the board white!

This should help me survive and figure out what my next move is...spend the rest of the summer finding a good deal on a truck or buy a small good gas mileage car and make this my home?? So much to think about...

This is not a bad place to be stuck for the summer...

Stay tuned - not giving up traveling yet,

Capt. Jim - "The Wanderer"

Traveling and photographing the Southwest and Alaska!

Disappointing Day - Time to roll with the punches....

At least I can enjoy the sunsets here!

Yesterday I drove the 27 miles each way to Yucca Valley Wal-Mart and picked up the two new tires I ordered...the truck started missing and bucking and loss of power...like I need another issue.

Returned from Wal-Mart and in the evening cool, put on the two new tires, today I needed to take a test run and if good to go then head on down the road, if not put the trailer back in the proper location on my spot. Well, drove about 12 miles down the road and the truck has issues, barely get up to 50 MPH with the trailer on it...so turned around and just got back in my spot and all unhitched and everything hooked back up....looks like Montana is out of the question for the time being and time to either find out what is wrong with the truck or find another truck...

Of course it is a Saturday and my local mechanic is closed so will head there Monday after pulling all the codes and doing some research.

Plenty to do here around the park, so it may be a hot summer in the desert for me...time to spend a late night in Joshua Tree NP and find the milky way...saw it here in the RV park but too much ambient light to shoot it.

If anyone has a 3/4 ton Diesel Truck cheap let me know...

Stay tuned all is well, just a minor set back...life on the road!

Capt. Jim - "The Wanderer"

Traveling and photographing the Southwest and Alaska!